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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 116 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: drill · mouse · can · stem · last · vault · bore · stock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — final
  11. drill — army training
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stock — shares
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — finally
  24. stem — a stem cell

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