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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · mouse · track · game · hide · rest · can · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a path
  16. can — to be able to
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — child
  24. rest — a break

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