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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: can · nail · vault · rush · last · pass · tear · rule

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. nail — on a finger

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