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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: wound · fine · coach · toast · current · rule · roll · bound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — a list
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — happening now
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — a law

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