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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: trunk · wave · vault · fall · drill · fork · fine · press

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fine — all right
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — high quality
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — the season
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — a garden tool

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