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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: pass · bank · row · trunk · mouse · wax · straw · bat

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a line
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pass — a permit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bank — of a river
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — for baseball

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