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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 120 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 · last · fan · spring · temple · bore · march · chip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spring — a coil
  3. last — to go on
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. march — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spring — the season
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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