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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: net · wax · spring · file · vault · branch · swing · can

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. spring — a coil
  6. swing — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. net — for catching
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. file — a document
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spring — of water
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — to grow
  20. spring — the season
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. swing — to play on
  24. branch — a division

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