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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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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 · date · bank · deal · bound · wax · lie · last

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — certain
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. last — finally
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bound — tied together
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. craft — a skill

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