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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: ruler · bulb · chest · press · chair · bore

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chest — a box
  15. bore — to tire
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — a publisher

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