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

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

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. branch — a division
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pass — to succeed

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