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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: kid · season · tube · chip · nail · safe · fan · arm

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kid — to tease
  3. tube — a container
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — to eat
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. kid — child
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — out of danger

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