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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.

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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: key · wax · bank · patient · stock · saw · fine · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stock — goods

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