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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 116 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 · bear · cap · cue · pound · mate · chair · kick

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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