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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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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 · content · lie · suit · cabinet · saw · spell · bore

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spell — magic
  10. content — happy
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bore — to tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to drill

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