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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 · charge · bound · mouse · bark · fall · hand · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — a contest
  9. hand — help
  10. race — humankind
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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