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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: craft · pass · mate · vault · mark · clip · ruler · rush

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — for paper
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — boats
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — a video
  18. mate — to breed
  19. vault — a safe
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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