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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: lash · bear · date · band · vault · rule · chest · rash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. band — a music group
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rule — a law
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chest — a box
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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