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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 116 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: net · key · bound · wax · wave · stock · lean · clip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to bend
  6. clip — a video
  7. key — in music
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. net — for catching
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wave — with your hand

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