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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: wind · lie · key · foot · ground · board · bank · wax

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — of a river
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. board — a committee
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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