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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: wind · rash · fall · bowl · wax · mug · lean · drill

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — a series
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — hasty
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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