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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: file · stock · bay · spell · staff · vault · clip · race

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. clip — a video
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. race — the arms race
  19. clip — to cut
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — letters
  23. clip — for paper
  24. race — humankind

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