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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: bay · rule · spell · board · bear · march · bound · trunk

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. march — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — a law
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — letters
  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