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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 · pass · roll · object · bay · tear · chest · trunk

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a hint
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. object — an aim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chest — a box
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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