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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: hand · sharp · spell · season · rush · board · mate · arm

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. season — in sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hand — help
  14. season — of the year
  15. spell — magic
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — letters
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — to breed
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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