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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 · suit · land · bay · board · shower · chest · lean

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. shower — rain
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chest — a box
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — to come down
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a face
  24. lean — to rest against

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