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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spring — the season
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — a coil
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bore — to tire
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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