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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — all right
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — after costs
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. march — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. capital — a city
  16. kick — in football
  17. net — in sport
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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