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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: chip · rule · prune · wind · bound · stand · bank · pass

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — a permit
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rule — a law
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. rule — government
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — for money

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