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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: hide · mouse · staff · board · nail · land · rule · fork

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — government
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — a law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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