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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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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: safe · leaves · mate · kick · cold · chair · suit · rest

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rest — a break
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — in football
  14. suit — clothes
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cold — an illness

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