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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: firm · drill · rest · bulb · press · wax · stock · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — goods
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — a break
  16. firm — decided
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — shares
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — steady
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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