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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: present · field · lean · pit · land · rock · pass · shower

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — to come down
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. land — ground
  5. present — the time now
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. field — farmland
  10. present — there
  11. rock — music
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. field — for sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. field — a subject
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pass — a permit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — to succeed

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