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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: date · pound · key · spell · stem · lash · vault · file

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spell — a short time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — a safe
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — in music

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