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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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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: temple · ruler · fall · key · bulb · drill · bore · deal

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — to handle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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