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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 · rush · rock · pound · march · roll · hide · chest

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — the month
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — a committee
  22. march — the month
  23. chest — a box
  24. roll — a cake

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