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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: hand · suit · trunk · craft · pass · field · bound · lean

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — boats
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — a permit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — farmland
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bound — certain
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bound — obliged
  24. field — for 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