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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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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: bore · clip · capital · bank · vault · rule · bulb · chest

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bore — to drill
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. clip — to cut
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — of your body
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. chest — a box
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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