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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: mouse · last · mark · kid · cabinet · rule · land · rash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. last — final
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — child
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — a country
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — a law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — hasty

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