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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · board · bound · fall · land · trunk · club · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a committee
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. land — a country
  14. fall — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — ground
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. club — a group

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