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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: band · arm · fine · spell · wave · nail · season · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a committee
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a ring
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a music group
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — magic
  23. season — of the year
  24. board — to get on

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