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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 124 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: mine · kid · chair · cabinet · rule · leaves · suit · mate

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a friend
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — a law
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chair — to sit on

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