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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: suit · nail · dip · fall · chest · file · fan · bay

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. file — a document
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chest — of your body
  23. file — a line of people
  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