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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: cabinet · tube · dip · ruler · temple · wound · cap · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. tube — the underground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

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