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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: content · wound · chip · bore · wind · craft · board · bear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — to eat
  6. craft — boats
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — to get on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wound — an injury

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