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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: stem · net · board · wound · wind · coach · bank · face

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — to get on
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. coach — a trainer

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