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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: lie · cabinet · wave · key · scale · stock · track · spell

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — in music
  10. stock — goods
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a path
  21. key — in music
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — size or range
  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