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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: bound · wind · bowl · bank · craft · foot · file · swing

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — music
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. file — a tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a document
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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