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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: straw · roll · lie · staff · bore · hide · foot · arm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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 drill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. roll — a cake
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. roll — a list
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — to tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. arm — part of the body

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