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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: key · current · bound · rash · rule · spell · lean · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — magic
  3. current — electric
  4. bound — certain
  5. rash — hasty
  6. firm — decided
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — government
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spell — letters
  18. rule — a law
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — a series
  21. bound — obliged
  22. current — happening now
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. firm — a company

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