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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — army training
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — the season
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wax — for sculpting

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