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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — rain
  7. key — for a lock
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — for digging
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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