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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: sharp · mate · kid · key · perch · hide · saw · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kid — child
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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