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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · wax · stem · dip · calf · bass · drill · tear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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