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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · kick · board · key · spring · foot · season · rush

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. key — in music
  9. kid — child
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — in sport
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — of the year
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kick — in football
  19. spring — the season
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — hurry

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