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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — ground
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a music group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cell — in biology
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a ring
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. land — to come down

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