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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: object · trunk · craft · toast · hand · wax · last · deal

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — a thing
  3. toast — bread
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. object — an aim
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. last — to go on
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a skill
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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