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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: suit · cabinet · clip · staff · dip · fan · pass · fall

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — to cut
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — the season
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — in cards
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pass — a permit
  24. staff — a stick

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