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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: bowl · vault · race · branch · rest · ground · drill · charge

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rest — a break
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. race — a contest
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — in control
  14. ground — a position
  15. charge — a price
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. branch — a division

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