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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: date · craft · deal · wax · dip · trunk · degree · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — an amount
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — to sink
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — temperature
  24. trunk — of a tree

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