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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: scale · rush · straw · fan · kid · nail · hand · chip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kid — child
  21. scale — in music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — a thrill

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