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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: board · rule · rush · drill · chest · vault · nail · mug

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — a box
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — to get on
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — government
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — the tool

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