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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: hide · pitcher · mark · wind · bound · fall · trunk · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — a jug

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