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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: chest · row · last · present · date · trunk · scale · bound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. date — the fruit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. scale — in music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. last — to go on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bound — certain
  18. chest — a box
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. last — final
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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