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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: wound · lie · can · race · board · wave · bound · mine

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. race — a contest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — a committee

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