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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: vault · bore · game · bay · band · hand · root · ruler

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a word
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a plant
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bore — to tire
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. band — a music group

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