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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 · lie · kick · cap · mine · cabinet

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cap — a hat

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