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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: trunk · bowl · bound · rock · mine · mark · saw · craft

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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 — tied together
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — to roll
  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