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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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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: cap · clip · temple · arm · pound · net · kick · cabinet

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kick — in football
  4. clip — for paper
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. clip — a video
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. net — for catching
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. clip — to cut
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cap — a hat
  18. net — in sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. temple — a place of worship

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