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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: wax · track · key · face · stock · chest · lash · craft

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — a box
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — boats
  9. stock — goods
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a song
  22. face — to confront
  23. stock — shares
  24. track — to keep track

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