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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: spell · row · clip · vault · nail · object · content · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — to paddle
  7. object — to protest
  8. race — a contest
  9. row — a line
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. race — humankind
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — a thing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — letters

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