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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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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 · drill · band · present · cue · wax · saw · calf

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — there
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a music group
  11. cue — for pool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. calf — a young animal

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