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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · march · plane · safe · pound · arm · board · drill

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. board — to get on
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. board — a committee
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. safe — out of danger

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