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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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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 · race · safe · prune · vault · rush · cap · pass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cap — of ice
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — a safe
  24. drill — a practice

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