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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: mate · leaves · cabinet · rest · file · stand · rash · drill

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — a break
  5. drill — army training
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — the tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — on your feet

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