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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: band · chip · net · cabinet · suit · tube · lie · bound

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bound — obliged
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chip — to eat

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