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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 · tube · board · pass · spring · prune · season · bound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. spring — the season
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — a container
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — certain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pass — to succeed
  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