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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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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: board · mine · branch · current · wake · root · staff · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mine — for digging
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. current — happening now
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. root — of a word
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — the cause
  24. board — a committee

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