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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: suit · branch · tear · tube · last · saw · pass · band

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tear — to rip
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — a division
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a music group

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