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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — in music
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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