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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.

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: plane · vault · drill · pass · rush · key · court · craft

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. court — of a king
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — of law
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — a tool

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