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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: chest · band · bear · stick · charge · stand · rush · vault

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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