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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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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: fall · mate · cabinet · suit · nail · net · saw · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. mate — a friend
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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