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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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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 · tear · row · bank · stick · pit

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. row — a line
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — for money

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