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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: lean · degree · board · leaves · tube · key · craft · last

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — finally
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a skill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — a committee
  13. key — in music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — a container
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. board — to get on
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — the underground

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