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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: bore · season · chip · jam · cue · tear · lean · pit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lean — thin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a hole
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bore — to drill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tear — to rip
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — in sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — to tire
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — for pool

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