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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: vault · sharp · chip · rest · bore · rush · lie · last

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. last — final
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chip — for betting
  23. last — to go on
  24. sharp — clever

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