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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: mine · kick · chair · spell · bound · trunk · net · bank

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — magic
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. net — after costs
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — in sport
  19. spell — a short time
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spell — letters
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — to sit on

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