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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: fine · lean · straw · jam · leaves · stem · board · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lean — thin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. board — a committee
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. clip — a video
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lean — to bend
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. board — to get on
  24. jam — a tight spot

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