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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 120 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: lean · hide · foot · pass · shower · land · mouse · chair

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — thin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — a country
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — ground
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. land — to come down
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — a professorship

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