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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 124 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: cell · pound · race · trunk · hide · bound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — a contest
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — a phone

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