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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: shower · cabinet · hide · bore · net · cap · key · mouse

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. net — in sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. key — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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