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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 · rash · spring · racket · sharp · chip · kid · drill

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. drill — army training
  3. spring — of water
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — a practice
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. kick — a thrill

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