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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 116 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
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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: safe · lash · cold · net · perch · bore · tube · object

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cold — not warm
  5. perch — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — a thing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — after costs
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. net — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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