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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: hide · lean · wax · perch · stock · cabinet · swing · staff

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — a stick
  4. swing — in golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — goods
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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