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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.

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: key · kick · dip · rush · cabinet · file · mug · bear

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — to rob
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. key — the most important part

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