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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: drill · chip · kid · bulb · temple · bank · press · bore

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — to push
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — to tire
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bank — of a river
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kid — child
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bore — to drill

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