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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: nail · bound · bay · stem · pop · trunk · arm · court

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pop — to visit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — soda
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — for sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. arm — part of the body
  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