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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: file · chair · bulb · hide · stock · land · bore · temple

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. bore — to tire
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a document
  22. hide — to keep secret
  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