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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 · cue · rash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cue — for pool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — hasty

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