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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: lie · stock · lean · branch · rash · ground · board · wind

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — to get on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — a committee
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stock — shares
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — hasty

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