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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 · saw · rush · vault · race · root · current · chip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. current — electric
  8. race — humankind
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — a contest
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. current — happening now
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — army training

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