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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: deal · trunk · ruler · ground · mate · last · wax · stick

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — a friend
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — crushed
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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