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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · row · board · clip · key · last · tube · root

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — the underground
  18. row — a line
  19. key — the most important part
  20. row — to paddle
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lean — thin
  24. board — to get on

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