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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 · deal · track · calf · chip · perch · press · bore

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — for betting
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — to keep track

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