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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: mug · drill · mine · hand · fall · can · vault · trunk

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mine — for digging
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — to rob
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — help
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — a cup

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