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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: lean · foot · bound · rash · mug · firm · face · land

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — to come down
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mug — to rob
  11. foot — a measure
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. firm — steady
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bound — tied together
  19. face — to confront
  20. mug — a face
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — certain

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