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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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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 · stick · rule · rest · vault · chest · tear · racket

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — a law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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