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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: saw · tube · mate · fan · fall · cabinet · suit · cell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cell — in biology
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cell — a phone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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