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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · content · bore · wound · chest · temple · lie · stock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a signal
  4. content — happy
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — the amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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