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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cell — a phone
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — all right
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — certain

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