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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: date · dip · nail · net · wax · toast · pop · drill

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — soda
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pop — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — for catching
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — the most admired

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