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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
468
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 · can · hide · rest · wax · date · degree · last

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. last — to go on
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. last — final
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — finally
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — to be able to
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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