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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: sharp · kick · bore · lean · roll · bound · bear · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. roll — a list
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bound — certain
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bear — the animal
  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