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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: bank · capital · roll · lie · mine · land · bore · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lie — to recline
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — for digging
  21. capital — money
  22. land — to come down
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lie — an untruth

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