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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · bear · board · march · straw · spring · land · racket

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spring — the season
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — ground
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — dry grass

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