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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: land · fall · suit · rule · nail · chest · vault · object

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. rule — government
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. vault — a safe
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — an aim

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