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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · mine · wax · cabinet · bay · content · current · straw

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — happening now
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — ministers

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