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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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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: board · staff · hide · bore · roll · leaves · land · mate

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — to breed
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a list
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to tire
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — on a roll

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