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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · stock · bank · face · key · wax · cabinet · kick

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stock — shares
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — goods
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — to confront
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — with a leg

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