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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — low music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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