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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: land · trunk · rest · hide · bore · clip · temple · staff

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — a stick
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. clip — for paper
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. clip — to cut
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. clip — a video
  24. temple — a place of worship

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