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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: arm · rush · snap · season · band · board · craft · jam

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. craft — boats
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. season — of the year
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. board — to get on
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. board — a committee
  23. season — to add flavour
  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