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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: craft · ruler · kick · hand · vault · land · mate · drill

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — a country
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  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