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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — a committee
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — to get on
  15. track — a path
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — a song
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — clothes

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