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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: rush · season · hand · swing · staff · nail · board · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — of the year
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — a tin
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — in sport
  14. swing — music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — in golf

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