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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: spell · rule · pound · board · straw · bank · band · firm

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — decided
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rule — government
  23. bank — for money
  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