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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 120 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: kid · shower · press · hide · nail · chip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. shower — rain
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chip — for betting
  16. press — to push
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — on a finger

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