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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · board · wave · wake · rush · snap · spell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. spell — a short time
  22. snap — to click
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bore — gave birth

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