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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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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: bore · racket · chip · tear · hide · cue · kid · rush

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cue — a hint
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kid — child
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hide — to keep secret

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