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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 116 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: bass · chip · net · suit · fall · wave · chair · kick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — in sport
  14. bass — low music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — for catching
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — after costs
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — a thrill

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