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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 · foot · board · plane · cap · wound · lie · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. board — a committee
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — a tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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