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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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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: cell · mate · pop · charge · kick · wind · cabinet · cue

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kick — in football
  23. charge — a price
  24. cabinet — ministers

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