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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: file · land · branch · toast · can · suit · wax · spring

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. file — a line of people
  6. toast — bread
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. land — a country
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — the season
  15. file — a document
  16. land — ground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. land — to come down

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