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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.

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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: lash · press · stock · mine · snap · foot · vault · tube

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — a container
  3. mine — for digging
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — shares
  21. vault — a safe
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. press — a publisher

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