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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: wave · staff · stock · bank · wax · game · temple · prune

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — for money

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