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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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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 · board · content · nail · temple · charge · band · chip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. charge — a price
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — in cards
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a music group
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. temple — side of the head

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