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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: chest · lash · staff · tube · rule · vault · fall · stick

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — a stick
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chest — a box
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fall — the season
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fall — to drop
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — government

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