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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — a line
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — a thing
  18. spring — the season
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — to protest
  24. leaves — of a tree

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