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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: staff · content · can · board · row · hide · spell · perch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — the amount
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a line
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spell — a short time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — happy

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