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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: vault · drill · ruler · temple · snap · band

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to click
  4. drill — army training
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — a practice
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a ring
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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