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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: squash · fan · drill · wax · dip · foot · pit · bass

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. squash — to crush
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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