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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: arm · mine · land · spring · bound · deal · bear · bore

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — certain
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — the season
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — ground

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