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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: bear · wind · bank · fine · coach · rule

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — moving air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money

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