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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — a committee
  13. capital — money
  14. march — music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a city
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. trunk — of a tree

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