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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · drill · last · firm · nail · leaves · vault · season

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. vault — a safe
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — a company
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. drill — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — final
  21. firm — steady
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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