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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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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: last · bore · chair · tube · rush · stand · vault · roll

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — to go on
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. last — finally
  14. tube — the underground
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chair — a leader

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