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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 120 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: calf · press · board · hand · rash · land · wax · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rash — a series
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — ground
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — a skill
  10. hand — help
  11. land — a country
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. press — a publisher

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