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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 116 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 · wave · staff · sharp · rush · band · leaves · key

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — to get on
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — for a lock
  11. board — a committee
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — of the sea

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