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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.

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: kick · mug · cabinet · cell · season · clip · pitcher · rock

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — a face
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. season — in sport
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — to cut
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a cup
  24. clip — a video

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