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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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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 · straw · cabinet · march · vault · cell

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. suit — in cards
  15. march — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. march — the month

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