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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: content · hand · can · rush · staff · mouse · board · nail

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — happy
  3. board — to get on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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