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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · nail · rule · band · chip · tube · bore · cabinet

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — government
  24. bore — gave birth

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