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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 120 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: rush · chair · bass · suit · tear · vault · chest · pass

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tear — to rip
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — hurry
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — low music

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