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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 · bat · rest · bore · drill · cap · sharp · chest

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a lid
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — a box
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — of ice
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — a break
  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