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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 · mug · stick · lash · rock · trunk · pitcher · fine

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — certain
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fine — high quality
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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