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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: suit · net · snap · cabinet · present · vault · stick · coach

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — there
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. suit — to fit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to click

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