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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · cell · suit · net · row · bulb · fan · cabinet

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — in sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a line
  11. net — after costs
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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