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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: present · root · rush · lean · vault · cabinet · straw · drill

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. present — the time now
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — there
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — army training
  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