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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · mouse · arm · vault · wound · lean · squash · trunk

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — to crush
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — certain
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the animal

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