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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: rock · lie · bowl · spell · saw · bound · trunk · club

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bound — obliged
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for golf
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rock — music
  20. club — a group
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — letters

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