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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 120 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: nail · mate · fine · rest · snap · season · tube · hand

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — in sport
  4. hand — help
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — of the year
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — a break
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to click
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — a container
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mate — a friend

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