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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: hand · chip · season · nail · patient · rule · stick · bass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — to eat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — of the year
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — government
  21. bass — low music
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the fish

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