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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: tube · arm · bank · trunk · bat · mate · saw · bound

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — a container
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bound — certain
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — the animal

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