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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: calf · bound · jam · wound · straw · fall · fork · tube

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — a container
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bound — certain
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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