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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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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: hide · bay · kid · perch · leaves · roll · tube · bore

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — a container
  21. kid — to tease
  22. perch — the fish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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