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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: bound · mouse · mine · chest · kid · rock · trunk · lash

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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. rock — a stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kid — child
  18. chest — a box
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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