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

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bound — obliged
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. clip — a video
  19. mark — a grade
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of a tree

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