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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 120 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: rush · spell · drill · file · pit · vault · cap · bear

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cap — a hat
  8. file — a tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — a short time
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — hurry

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