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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 120 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: chair · lie · staff · pass · bore · season · game · hide

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lie — to recline
  6. season — of the year
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  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