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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: roll · suit · kick · chip · hide · rush · bear · tear

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — a list
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — to eat

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