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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
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: staff · pop · wax · stock · land · pass · temple · plane

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. staff — a stick
  3. land — a country
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — soda
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — goods
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — ground
  23. pop — music
  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