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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: rash · bound · net · bore · lean · wind · rest · capital

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to rest against

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