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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: craft · lean · bank · wax · last · sharp · season · object

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bank — for money

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