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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: object · arm · cap · last · saw · chip · net · suit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. net — after costs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. last — to go on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — a thing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a hat

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