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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.

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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: cue · staff · hide · spring · bore · deal · chip · firm

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. firm — a company
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to drill
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spring — of water
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — to eat
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — to handle
  19. firm — steady
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — in a computer

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