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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.

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: bore · foot · deal · cabinet · chest · roll · hide · can

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a list
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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