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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: branch · tube · chip · temple · bore · net · hand · press

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — a division
  5. press — to push
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — a publisher
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — for catching
  24. press — newspapers

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