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

Word bank: foot · lean · race · spring · mug · lie · wind · board

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — to bend
  14. race — humankind
  15. spring — of water
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wind — moving air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — to recline
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wind — moving air

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