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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · object · wax · pitcher · trunk · coach · chest · craft

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. drill — army training
  10. craft — boats
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — an aim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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