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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.

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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: deal · cabinet · capital · safe · kick · saw · hide · ground

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — in football
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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