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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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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: calf · trunk · charge · can · hand · bound · rule · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — in control
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — a law
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rule — government

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