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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: mark · vault · wax · land · branch · date · suit · can

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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 — the fruit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. suit — clothes
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  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