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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: dip · wax · face · drill · key · lie · bowl · fan

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — a practice
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — army training
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lie — an untruth

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