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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 · wake · board · calf · trunk · rock · bound · leaves

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — obliged
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — to get on

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