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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. firm — steady
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — letters
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — to recline
  11. firm — a company
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — of a river
  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