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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 116 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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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: kick · wound · ruler · bear · rest · lean · capital · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — in football
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. wound — an injury
  12. capital — a city
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. kick — with a leg

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