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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 116 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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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 · cabinet · sharp · rule · land · bound · leaves · cue

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. land — to come down
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — exactly

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