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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: present · mine · rush · leaves · staff · game · ruler · bore

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bore — to tire
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — a match

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