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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.

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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 · board · calf · mate · rule · content · kick · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. content — happy
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — to breed

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