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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: bore · bulb · spell · season · chair · tube · race · squash

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. season — in sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spell — magic
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — to tire

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