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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: trunk · scale · tube · fan · leaves · bowl · bound · rash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — a container
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — in music
  13. rash — a series
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — size or range
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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