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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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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: pop · fine · bound · foot · bark · trunk · saw · lie

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. fine — all right
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bark — to shout

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