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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.

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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: foot · board · root · lean · staff · straw · mate · bark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a plant
  8. board — a committee
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — to get on
  17. mate — a partner
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — to shout
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — a friend

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