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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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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: root · clip · vault · drill · ruler · rush · pass · jam

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. drill — army training
  7. clip — to cut
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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