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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: pass · wax · last · content · current · fall · fan · land

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. land — ground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — to drop
  11. land — to come down
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — the season
  14. land — a country
  15. content — the amount
  16. wax — to grow
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. current — happening now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. last — final

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