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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: kick · trunk · key · bound · bear · hand · bark · season

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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