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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: firm · stock · charge · wax · bank · mine · object · face

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — a thing
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. object — an aim
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stock — goods
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — shares
  18. charge — a price
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — to protest
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wax — to grow
  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