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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · game · cap · saw · kick · jam · cabinet · rash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. saw — the tool

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