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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · plane · vault · drill · prune · rush · pitch · temple

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — army training
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

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