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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: content · pound · wave · land · mark · lean · band · bore

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. band — a ring
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — a grade
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a music group
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — to rest against

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