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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · rule · craft · squash · bear · bound · trunk · lean

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — a law
  10. craft — boats
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lean — thin
  22. rule — government
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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