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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: cabinet · bore · kid · bowl · lean · spell · wound · perch

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — to tease
  24. perch — the fish

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