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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.

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: wax · trunk · can · degree · date · chair · dip · craft

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. date — the fruit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. craft — boats
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — to be able to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. degree — temperature
  24. date — on the calendar

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