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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 116 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: row · nail · cap · shower · content · leaves · swing · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — in golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. shower — to wash
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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