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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 · current · vault · object · chip · dip · rush · cell

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — happening now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — in biology
  12. object — a thing
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. object — an aim
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. cell — a phone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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