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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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Word bank
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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: wave · bark · safe · tear · board · last · march · hand

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. tear — from crying
  6. last — to go on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. march — music
  10. last — final
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tear — to rip
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. tear — from crying

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