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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: kick · cabinet · coach · vault · press · mug · cap · file

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mug — a cup
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — to push
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — a safe
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cap — of ice
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — a hat
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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