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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: spring · board · stick · spell · safe · craft · wax · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — the season
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — boats
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. spring — of water
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a match
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — letters
  24. craft — a skill

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