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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: bound · hide · file · stem · trunk · board · lash · game

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bound — certain
  10. file — a document
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. board — a committee
  13. game — a match
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — obliged

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