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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · wind · clip · rule · bulb · wake · bowl · bound

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — a law
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. clip — a video

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