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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 120 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 · deal · arm · straw · track · season · spring · dip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spring — the season
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — of water
  22. season — in sport
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a path

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