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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: drill · vault · wake · straw · degree · stem · craft · mug

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — a skill
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — boats

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