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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: capital · arm · bound · dip · bore · rush · last · game

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — money
  5. game — wild animals
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bound — tied together
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — obliged
  16. last — final
  17. rush — hurry
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. bore — gave birth

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