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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: rule · bark · trunk · object · spring · saw · bound · wave

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. object — an aim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — government
  19. spring — of water
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spring — the season

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