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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: chair · bulb · roll · pit · leaves · bore · arm · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bore — to tire
  11. roll — a cake
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — a hole
  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