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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: stem · pass · fall · bass · branch · pitch · land · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — low music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — the season
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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