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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · dip · mark · drill · fall · calf · land · face

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — to confront
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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