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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: kick · band · safe · cabinet · spring · staff · net · bore

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — of water
  19. kick — in football
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — for catching

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