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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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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: vault · drill · stock · press · last · bore · swing · trunk

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. press — to push
  11. drill — army training
  12. vault — a safe
  13. press — a publisher
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. last — final
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — to go on

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