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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: mate · nail · chip · hide · bear · shower · season · saw

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — of the year
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. shower — rain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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