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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 · season · chip · jam · swing · race · sharp · lash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. season — of the year
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. sharp — clever
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — in sport
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. swing — in golf
  20. race — a contest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. race — humankind

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