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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: bulb · foot · hide · drill · safe · rock · perch · kid

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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