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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: swing · bay · key · bore · cold · mate · mark · current

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — electric
  9. cold — not warm
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — of water
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a grade
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. swing — music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cold — the Cold War

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