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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: chip · temple · bark · rash · band · bore · mate · pop

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chip — for betting
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — a series
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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