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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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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: key · rush · trunk · mine · vault · suit · drill · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — low music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — a safe
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — for a lock
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — for digging

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