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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 · perch · club · face · roll · key · bank · stock

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. stock — shares
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. roll — a list
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — goods
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. roll — a cake
  20. club — for dancing
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. club — a group

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