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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. board — a committee
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — obliged
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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