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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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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: bank · bound · pound · swing · plane · rule · march · wind

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — certain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. swing — to play on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — a weight
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. march — music

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