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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: rule · dip · kick · chest · tube · cabinet · staff · last

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. last — final
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — government
  21. last — finally
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. tube — a container

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