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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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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: kick · stock · hide · track · wax · cabinet · wind · safe

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — to grow
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a path
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — in football
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wind — moving air

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