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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 116 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: mug · lie · march · bass · perch · bound · last · trunk

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — finally
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — low music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — to rob
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a face
  22. march — music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. last — final

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