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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: lean · bound · lie · hide · lash · current · trunk · band

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — electric
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hide — to keep secret

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