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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: season · fork · lean · last · bound · arm · trunk · row

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. last — finally
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — final
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — certain
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — to rest against

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