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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: date · kick · stand · cell · cabinet · spell · rush · press

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — in football
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — letters
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spell — magic

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