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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 116 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: press · vault · deal · bass · trunk · bulb · face · drill

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — to confront
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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