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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: wake · present · rush · chest · root · chair · drill · vault

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — a gift
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — there
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — of a word
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. present — the time now

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