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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 120 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: tear · calf · cue · lie · cabinet · pass · chair · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tear — to rip
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — for pool
  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