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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.

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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: file · kick · cue · rush · cabinet · deal · content · mate

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. file — a tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. cue — a hint
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — happy
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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