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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: craft · bat · lean · leaves · root · race · bark · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. root — the cause
  4. race — the arms race
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — the animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. race — humankind
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bat — for baseball

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