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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: sharp · bore · wound · land · cabinet · staff · cell · face

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — to come down
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cell — a phone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — an injury

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