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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: vault · date · branch · lean · fine · hand · wax · wind

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — help
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. branch — a division
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wax — for sculpting

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