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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 120 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: spell · rush · sharp · rash · season · board · craft · band

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — a short time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a music group
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — in sport
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — hasty
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — magic

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