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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 · tear · rock · root · pass · vault · bank · shower

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — music
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — to wash
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — of a word
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — army training
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. root — the cause
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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