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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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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: firm · bank · hand · club · wind · lean · wound · ground

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — thin
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — crushed
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — for golf
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hand — help
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to bend
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — steady
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bank — for money

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