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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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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: suit · rule · toast · snap · kid · chip · bear · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. rule — a law
  4. chip — to eat
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — government
  7. kid — to tease
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to click
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — child
  22. chip — for betting
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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