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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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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — of a word
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a path
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ground — a position
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — a song
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. board — to get on
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bound — tied together

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