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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: date · arm · tube · hide · rush · chip · nail · lean

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — the fruit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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