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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · ground · trunk · drill · vault · pass · mark · tube

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ground — crushed
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — a position
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tube — a container
  21. mine — for digging
  22. drill — a practice
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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