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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: chair · present · calf · pit · tear · bear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tear — from crying

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