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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
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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: mug · lean · land · stand · leaves · perch · pound · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to bend
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — a country
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mark — a trace

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