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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 120 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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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: wound · chair · bass · rest · charge · bear · nail · pass

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bass — low music
  24. charge — a price

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