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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: chip · suit · face · trunk · saw · nail · mate · staff

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. suit — to fit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a friend
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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