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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 · chip · fork · cabinet · lean · club · dip · shower

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. club — a group
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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