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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: kick · toast · craft · hide · suit · chip

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — to fit
  3. craft — boats
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a skill
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — in a computer

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