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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: ground · board · wound · present · cabinet · wind · wake · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mark — a trace
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — to get on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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