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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · staff · content · can · mate · wave · nail · perch

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mate — to breed
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — happy
  14. mate — a friend
  15. land — a country
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mate — a partner

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