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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to confront
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fall — to drop
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — army training
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — in music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. face — to point toward

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