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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — in sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — a stick
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — to get on
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — employees

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