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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: staff · cabinet · chip · bore · vault · bulb · fall · press

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — the season
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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