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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · clip · wax · bore · racket · fan · calf · bowl

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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