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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: cabinet · rock · present · dip · chair · kick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rock — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. present — the time now
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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