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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.

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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: lie · shower · firm · tube · lean · mug · board · field

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — a cup
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. board — to get on
  14. mug — a face
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — a company
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — the underground
  24. field — a subject

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