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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 116 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: content · press · hide · kid · fall · perch · safe · bore

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to tire
  21. press — to push
  22. fall — the season
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — to tease

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