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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: stock · lean · press · bore · last · vault · mouse · pass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — thin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — finally
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. press — to push
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bore — gave birth

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