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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.

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: march · staff · hide · bore · game · object · suit · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — a coil
  8. object — an aim
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. march — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — of water
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. object — to protest
  21. bore — to drill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — to fit

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