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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 116 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: pass · wind · tear · sharp · stock · wake

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. 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. wind — to turn a key
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. 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