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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 · wax · jam · dip · calf · roll · mug · straw

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. drill — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wax — to grow
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. drill — a practice
  23. roll — a list
  24. mug — to rob

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