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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: nail · march · row · trunk · vault · land · mate · press

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — newspapers
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — to breed
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — to paddle
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. land — a country

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