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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — a safe
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — to handle
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rock — to move gently

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