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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: cell · trunk · safe · row · bore · kick · foot · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cell — in biology
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — in football
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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