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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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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: bound · clip · mark · lean · pass · ground · trunk · perch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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 tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. clip — a video
  6. ground — a position
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — a permit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — obliged
  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