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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: board · capital · bore · straw · mate · band · fall · safe

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — to tire
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — a city
  17. band — a music group
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. board — a committee
  24. straw — a straw man

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