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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: bulb · hide · date · mine · bore · chip · firm · tube

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. firm — decided
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mine — for digging
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — steady
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — a company
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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