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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: board · track · fall · march · rule · wind · bay · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. board — to get on
  12. fall — the season
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. board — a committee
  19. rule — government
  20. track — to keep track
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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