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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: lie · trunk · bark · board · bound · bowl · wind · rush

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — to recline
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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