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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 116 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: fall · dip · board · wax · scale · pop · wind · pit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — size or range
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wind — moving air
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. board — to get on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. board — a flat piece

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