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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: rock · lean · face · key · tube · dip · spring · board

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spring — the season
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lean — thin
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — to move gently

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