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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: drill · arm · wax · pound · shower · dip · calf · perch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — rain
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. drill — army training
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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