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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: mate · trunk · drill · vault · rash · plane · rock · stand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — army training

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