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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. club — for golf
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fall — to drop
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — certain
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — a group
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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