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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.

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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: stand · craft · trunk · drill · present · pass · wax · wave

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — there
  5. wax — to grow
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. drill — army training
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pass — to spend time

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