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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: trunk · mate · game · toast · lie · bound · present · bass

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — low music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — certain
  20. present — there
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — a match
  23. bass — the fish
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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