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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: snap · nail · drill · race · craft · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. race — humankind
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — a safe
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — a skill
  17. drill — army training
  18. race — the arms race

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