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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 116 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: stock · file · firm · mark · rest · bay · clip · staff

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. clip — a video
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — steady
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. firm — decided
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — goods
  14. file — a document
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. firm — a company

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