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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.

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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: rest · bulb · wax · bank · kick · cabinet · wound · key

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — in football
  8. key — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — a break
  24. wax — to grow

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