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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: bark · deal · mate · stand · trunk · bound · toast · craft

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. toast — bread
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bark — to shout
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — to breed
  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