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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: rule · bore · lean · vault · club · rash · row · ground

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — government
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. row — a line
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rash — a series
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — a position
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. row — to paddle
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lean — to bend

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