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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: vault · cold · track · can · spell · staff · wave · stock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — a safe
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — shares
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — goods
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cold — an illness

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