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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
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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: shower · cabinet · fall · land · last · pitch · pass · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — a country
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — rain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wax — to grow

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