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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: stick · safe · board · bowl · march · saw · shower · arm

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — to wash
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — music

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