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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: drill · row · kick · last · vault · ruler

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. last — finally
  6. drill — army training
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kick — in football
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — to go on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. last — final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring

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