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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 116 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: cap · board · ball · craft · stick · wound · lean · root

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — thin
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — boats
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a round shape

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