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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: firm · wound · perch · capital · rush · bound · bore · lean

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — decided
  4. capital — money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. firm — steady
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. capital — a city
  24. firm — a company

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