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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 124 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: drill · mouse · game · stock · lash · trunk · tube · press

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — army training
  3. game — a match
  4. press — a publisher
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — to push
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stock — goods
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stock — shares
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. game — wild animals

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