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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · bore · cabinet · band · object · pound · bear · leaves

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bore — to tire
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — a thing
  15. land — a country
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a ring
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — to come down
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. object — to protest
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — lets stay

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