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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: chair · trunk · charge · lie · last · rash · tear · vault

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — in control
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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