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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: key · club · spring · wax · cabinet · date · suit · branch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. suit — to fit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. branch — a division
  16. club — a group
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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