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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: cabinet · last · field · wax · stand · pass · coach · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — farmland
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — a subject
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — a permit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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