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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: kick · hide · safe · temple · board · bore · rest · bat

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — in football
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — to get on

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