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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: trunk · suit · squash · capital · bound · foot · arm · wake

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wake — a trail
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — obliged
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. suit — to fit
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bound — certain
  15. squash — to crush
  16. suit — in cards
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. capital — a city
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — the sport

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