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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: rock · saw · rush · root · march · vault · wake · spell

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spell — letters
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — a short time
  21. march — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — of a plant

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