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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: season · object · nail · sharp · spell · board · dip · last

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — an aim
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. last — to go on
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. object — to protest
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — a flat piece

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