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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: leaves · bore · stand · wax · band · pound · bound · present

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. present — there
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. present — a gift
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stand — to bear

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