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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: leaves · bore · staff · cell · mark · chair · nail · stick

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — to pay attention

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