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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: mug · march · board · lean · scale · face · bore · land

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to bend
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mug — to rob
  17. march — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. board — to get on
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a committee

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