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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 116 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: march · cabinet · board · trunk · object · kick · spell · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. march — the month
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kick — in football
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — music
  8. spell — letters
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — to protest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. object — a thing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. object — an aim
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — to get on

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