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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: board · game · stick · snap · key · temple · bore · spell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a match
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to tire
  24. key — the most important part

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