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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: row · board · wind · bore · content · bay · mark · bank

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — happy
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bore — to drill
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — to 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