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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hand — help
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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