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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: fall · cue · tear · hand · bay · bear · calf · pit

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — for pool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. tear — to rip
  24. calf — a young 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