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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: straw · rush · fall · wound · bank · bark · date · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. 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. pass — to spend time
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rush — hurry
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fall — to drop
  24. 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