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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 · tube · key · dip · bear · trunk · current · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — a container
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. current — of water
  24. kick — in football

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