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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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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: content · cabinet · swing · bore · bowl · bay · current · wind

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — happy
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — happening now
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wind — moving air

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