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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: bound · temple · staff · straw · trunk · tube · pitcher · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bound — tied together
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

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