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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — a committee
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — to get on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bound — tied together

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