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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · board · key · lash · file · spring · date · calf

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — in music
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — the season
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. file — a document
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — a committee
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. board — a flat piece

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