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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: vault · suit · rush · fine · wax · branch · chest · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chest — a box
  18. branch — a division
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. suit — clothes

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