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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 120 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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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: deal · kick · bore · wound · perch · cell · content · vault

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. cell — in biology
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kick — in football
  18. content — the amount
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wound — an injury

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