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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: wind · stick · bank · wax · game · cabinet

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — a match

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