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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: pit · bore · bat · chair · lean · tear · pass · bear

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — in a race
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to succeed

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