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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: bore · press · arm · cue · land · bulb · firm · chip

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. cue — for pool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. press — newspapers
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  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