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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: stem · rush · bark · bound · leaves · trunk · face · tube

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — certain
  7. face — to confront
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stem — to come from
  19. tube — a container
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — of a tree

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