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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mark · content · cabinet · wound · rest · bass · tube · bear

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rest — a break
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tube — in a tire

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