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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: leaves · fall · rush · trunk · net · game · bound · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. net — after costs
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. craft — boats
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. net — for catching
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. leaves — lets stay

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