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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: mate · wax · firm · present · hide · staff · bore · pound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — a weight
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — a stick
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. present — there
  14. firm — a company
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — employees
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — decided
  24. bore — to tire

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