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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: hand · band · key · kick · season · spell · board · sharp

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — magic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — in football
  9. band — a music group
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — a short time
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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