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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: rule · fan · bound · stand · straw · bank · present · key

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — certain
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — a gift
  13. rule — government
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — there
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — the time now
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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