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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: hide · bore · safe · wake · suit · roll · perch · kick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a cake
  13. kick — in football
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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