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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — of water
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — to bend
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — to get on
  14. hand — help
  15. spring — the season
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. race — a contest
  19. lean — thin
  20. board — a committee
  21. race — humankind
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — a stick

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