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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 · charge · rule · suit · straw · wound · current · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pop — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — in control
  12. rule — government
  13. charge — a price
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — certain
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — clothes

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