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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: rush · row · bore · kid · chip · spell · hide · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. row — a line
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — 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