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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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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 · current · kick · trunk · board · wound · rule · saw

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — a law
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. board — a committee
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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