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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: net · capital · suit · wake · row · cabinet · lie · rock

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. suit — clothes
  11. net — after costs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — to recline
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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