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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: kick · hide · cabinet · stick · rush · capital · safe · stem

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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