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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: wake · object · board · bat · bound · trunk · field · calf

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. field — a subject
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — certain
  13. wake — a trail
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — a thing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — for sport
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — in an idiom

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