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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
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 · vault · march · leaves · date · dip · lean · firm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — a safe
  6. firm — decided
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — to sink
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. march — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — steady
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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