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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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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: staff · kick · net · bore · perch · squash · hide · vault

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — a stick
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — employees
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — to drill
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — to crush

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