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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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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: root · wake · club · bound · stand · calf · pound · trunk

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. root — of a plant
  6. club — for golf
  7. root — the cause
  8. wake — a trail
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pound — a weight
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. club — for dancing
  24. root — of a word

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