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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: land · lean · bay · cap · bore · foot · bear · capital

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lean — thin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. cap — of ice

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