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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: nail · season · swing · chip · fall · kid · jam · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — of the year
  6. kid — to tease
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fall — the season

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