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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: rule · row · shower · race · charge · chair · vault · board

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — humankind
  12. chair — a leader
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — to wash
  18. race — a contest
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — a price
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. race — the arms race

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