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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: bore · rest · mate · cabinet · wake · lie · ground · chair

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — a position
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — to tire

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