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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · bear · kick · cell · cabinet · season · fine · land

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — a country
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — to come down
  20. season — of the year
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — in biology

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