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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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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 · hide · temple · spell · vault · pound · perch · deal

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. perch — the fish
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bore — to drill
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — a short time

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