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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: hide · rule · fine · capital · sharp · scale · kick · can

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — in football
  20. capital — money
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — government
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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