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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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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: suit · leaves · mate · safe · mine · bat · land · cabinet

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — to come down
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — ground
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — in cards

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