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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · lie · wind · pound · board · wound · bear · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. foot — a measure
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — a weight
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pound — for dogs

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