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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 120 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: rest · hide · trunk · cell · tube · fork · mouse · bound

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — a phone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — in a road

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