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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 · arm · chip · roll · pop · season · can · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — of the year
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a list
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — a cake
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — in sport
  24. wound — an injury

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