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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 116 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: bore · hide · firm · land · staff · game

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. land — a country
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. firm — steady
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a match
  12. land — to come down
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — ground
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play

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