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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 · press · wax · kick · board · band · content · sharp

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — to push
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. craft — boats
  16. wax — to grow
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. press — newspapers

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