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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: last · bulb · file · march · deal · board · sharp · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. march — music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. last — to go on
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — final
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — finally
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — a committee

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