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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: net · vault · cabinet · hand · suit · current · kick · row

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — help
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. kick — in football
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — electric
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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