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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: last · branch · pop · wave · stand · pass · tear · track

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. last — to go on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. last — final
  23. pass — a permit
  24. branch — a division

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