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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: toast · leaves · lean · wound · roll · trunk · craft · board

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — an injury
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. toast — bread
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lean — thin

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