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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 · fall · mark · row · tube · trunk · cabinet · object

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. object — an aim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — to protest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — a container
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — in a tire

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