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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: mine · rule · racket · tear · row · rush · vault · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mine — for digging
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — to rip
  24. content — happy

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