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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: lie · straw · mine · board · land · rush · leaves · tube

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — for digging
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — to recline
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — ground
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rush — hurry

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