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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bound — tied together
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — a committee
  18. band — a music group

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