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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: cue · present · stand · bore · tear · ground · pit · lean

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. 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. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — there
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — the time now
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. 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