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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: fall · cabinet · pop · net · season · kick · toast · last

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — final
  4. pop — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. kick — in football
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. net — after costs
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — finally
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — for catching
  24. pop — soda

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