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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · wind · spell · tube · suit · chair · net · nail

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — magic
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tube — a container

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