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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: mouse · saw · bay · swing · wind · content · bound · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. face — to confront
  3. wind — moving air
  4. swing — in golf
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. face — to point toward

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