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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 120 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: stock · dip · swing · wax · face · calf · sharp · drill

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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