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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: staff · hide · capital · bore · leaves · fine · bear · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — high quality
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. capital — a city
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — money
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fine — all right
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hide — to keep secret

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