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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: vault · coach · lash · rule · rest · toast · bore · file

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — bread
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. file — a document
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to drill
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rest — a break
  24. rule — a law

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