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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: pass · content · ground · chest · cue · rest · bear · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — a position
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chest — of your body

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