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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 · fan · chip · rush · season · pit · hand · hide

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hand — help
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. season — in sport

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