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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.

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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: sharp · kick · net · track · hide · firm · chip · lie

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. 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. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — a path
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — after costs
  16. firm — steady
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — decided
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. 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