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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: vault · chair · bear · rush · wave · object · bat · rule

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — a law
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — hurry

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