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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · chip · rush · net · hide · kid · wound · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — in sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — for catching
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — to tease
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wound — an injury
  18. net — after costs
  19. chip — for betting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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