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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: cell · rule · bound · straw · craft · suit · mug · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bound — certain
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. craft — a skill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cell — in biology
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rule — a law
  24. craft — boats

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