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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: cabinet · clip · bowl · face · court · season · kick · hide

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — in sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — a video
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — for sport
  21. clip — for paper
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — animal skin

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