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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.

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: nail · staff · wound · bear · content · can · game · sharp

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. content — happy
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. game — a match
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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