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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
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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: cabinet · staff · pass · trunk · wax · fall · wake · lie

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — to grow
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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