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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: nail · cabinet · charge · wound · stem · staff · suit · chip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — to eat
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — clothes

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