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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: land · trunk · pop · bound · mark · calf · lash · craft

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — obliged
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — tied together
  15. craft — boats
  16. land — ground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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