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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: bound · mate · trunk · clip · mark · rock · nail · wound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. clip — a video
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — certain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — for a hammer

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