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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 · net · squash · snap · drill · vault · craft · bore

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — in sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — army training
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — a handicraft

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