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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
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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: toast · foot · wave · bound · face · mine · capital · bore

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. face — to confront
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. capital — a city
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bore — to drill

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