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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: cabinet · trunk · craft · lie · bound · hand · board · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — a match
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — certain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a skill
  24. board — a flat piece

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