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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 116 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: pitch · stick · lean · wax · fall · craft · fine · trunk

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. trunk — of a car

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