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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: bowl · chest · pound · lean · net · bore · leaves · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chest — a box
  4. land — a country
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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