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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: foot · game · bound · mine · court · wound · bank · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — of a river
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bound — tied together

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