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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: snap · nail · fork · press · sharp · hide · chip · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. press — a publisher
  6. snap — to click
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — to push
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — to eat

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