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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: bound · field · lean · trunk · current · mate · clip · rock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bound — certain
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rock — a stone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. lean — thin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. clip — a video
  13. bound — obliged
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to bend
  24. clip — to cut

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