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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 · bowl · plane · pop · drill · file · bulb · band

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — a practice
  8. file — a document
  9. band — a ring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — soda
  13. file — a tool
  14. pop — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a music group
  24. drill — the tool

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