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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · vault · leaves · track · drill · mate · pass · mine

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pass — a permit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lean — thin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — a song

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