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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.

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: tube · lean · chip · rash · nail · pound · present · suit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — there
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — the underground
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — a container
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. present — the time now

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