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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 120 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: band · can · march · leaves · ground · pound · wave · bore

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a ring
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. can — a tin

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