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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: rule · trunk · squash · net · key · bound · wind · kick

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — in football
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. net — in sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. squash — to crush

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