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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: lean · bear · nail · pass · march · deal · bore · chair

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to drill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pass — a permit

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