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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: bound · trunk · rule · temple · bay · board · bowl · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — government
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rule — a law
  24. mate — to breed

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