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

Word bank: board · bound · pitch · ground · safe · fall · wind · face

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — obliged
  8. face — to confront
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a committee
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — a flat piece

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