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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · bulb · present · fall · cue · hide · bay · race

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for golf
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com