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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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Word bank
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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: suit · bound · trunk · race · clip · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bound — certain
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — in cards
  8. root — of a word
  9. bound — tied together
  10. race — a contest
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. race — humankind
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant

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