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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: rest · kick · cap · cabinet · roll · season · track · firm

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — in sport
  14. roll — a list
  15. rest — a break
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — to keep track
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — a song

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