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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 116 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: bass · rock · hide · fork · bear · race · vault · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. race — the arms race
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — humankind
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — low music
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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