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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 · game · rush · trunk · field · tube · chest · mark

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tube — the underground
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — certain
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chest — a box
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. field — for sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a match
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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