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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: cabinet · stock · spell · lash · vault · rest · chest · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — shares
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. chest — of your body
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — letters
  19. chest — a box
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stock — goods
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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