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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 120 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: bark · bank · land · cap · pass · kid · suit · tear

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — ground
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — to shout

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