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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: bear · bound · rest · cap · bore · mate · leaves · nail

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — a break
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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