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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: bulb · spell · ruler · mate · bore · net · chip · wound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — letters
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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