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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
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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: hide · craft · board · staff · capital · mine · date · leaves

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. staff — employees
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — a stick
  6. craft — boats
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — a skill
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. date — the fruit
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  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