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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 · rest · bore · ground · face · bound · arm · cap

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — a break
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — tied together
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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