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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: wind · bound · bank · track · press · rule · foot · plane

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — government
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — a tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. press — a publisher
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. track — a path
  23. wind — moving air
  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