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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.

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: fall · bass · pass · land · cabinet · prune · drill · clip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — army training
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. clip — for paper
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. bass — the fish
  23. clip — to cut
  24. land — to come down

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