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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: bore · board · arm · rush · key · spell · deal · season

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. season — in sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — a committee
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — to add flavour

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