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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. race — a contest
  8. swing — music
  9. rash — a series
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — hasty
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — humankind
  20. foot — a measure
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hand — help
  24. foot — part of the body

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