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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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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: rush · cabinet · stand · kick · safe · club · chair · cap

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kick — with a leg
  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