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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: bound · rush · mine · bank · rule · kid · root · firm

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — certain
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — decided
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — government
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kid — child
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — the cause

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