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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 · key · spring · board · lash · object · staff · branch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — a thing
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. object — to protest
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. spring — of water
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spring — a coil
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — an aim

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