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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: tear · bank · pass · ruler · fall · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — of a river

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