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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. prune — to trim
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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