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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: wound · suit · kick · bound · tube · root · roll · trunk

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a plant
  16. roll — a cake
  17. tube — the underground
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. roll — a list
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — a thrill

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