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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 120 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: stem · trunk · snap · bass · bound · lie · rule · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rule — a law
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — of a plant

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