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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · pit · swing · stand · current · wind · rush · bound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — music
  10. key — in music
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. current — of water
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. rush — a thrill

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