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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — of a river
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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