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

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a hole
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. present — a gift
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — the animal

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