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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 · key · swing · lie · rush · cap · board · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. swing — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. board — a committee
  9. key — in music
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — of ice

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