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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: face · fan · chip · dip · net · fall · calf · wax

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — the season
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. face — part of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — after costs
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — to grow

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