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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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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — of a river
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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