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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.

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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: bear · wind · spell · rule · lean · bound · stick · firm

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. firm — a company
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — thin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — certain
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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