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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.

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: bowl · cabinet · rush · kick · staff · cap · net · fall

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. 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. rush — a thrill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — a stick
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — the season
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — employees
  24. 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