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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: bank · wave · row · wound · field · ground · lie · present

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — the earth
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — there
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. field — farmland
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. field — a subject

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