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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · cabinet · clip · last · stock · bass · object · file

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — shares
  5. last — finally
  6. clip — for paper
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — a thing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. last — final
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. clip — to cut
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — a video
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — to protest
  24. last — to go on

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