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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: wax · hide · trunk · bulb · fall · pass · pit · arm

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fall — to drop

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