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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: wave · ground · lean · foot · bore · rush · capital · pound

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. capital — a city
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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