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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. drill — army training
  14. stock — shares
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to rest against

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