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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: row · tear · suit · stem · net · vault

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — for catching
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — a line
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — clothes
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — to come from
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — to rip
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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