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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: saw · rule · coach · rash · bound · fan · mine · stand

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — to bear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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