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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — a gift
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — a country
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. staff — a stick
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. land — ground
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. date — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. staff — employees

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