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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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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: chip · tube · hand · band · bulb · cabinet · bore · firm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — help
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bulb — for light

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