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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · spell · cabinet · perch · kick · bore · hide · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spell — magic
  4. scale — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — in football
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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