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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: craft · leaves · fork · squash · bass · last · bound · trunk

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — finally
  3. bound — obliged
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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