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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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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: march · kick · safe · board · fall · bound · kid · toast

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. toast — bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. march — music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bound — tied together
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — in football

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