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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: pit · mug · mine · cold · bore · current · staff · arm

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — of water
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cold — not warm
  11. current — happening now
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — electric
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mug — to rob

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