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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: drill · band · content · bulb · wax · board · lie · stick

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. content — the amount
  4. band — a music group
  5. drill — army training
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a ring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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