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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 · wax · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. tear — from crying
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. row — a line
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to click
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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