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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 120 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: prune · lie · lean · staff · board · key · tube · file

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — to bend
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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