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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: fine · land · lean · ground · bore · wave · game · band

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — to come down
  5. ground — the earth
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. band — a music group
  9. fine — all right
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bore — to tire
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — a position
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a ring
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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