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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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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: squash · mouse · fan · bulb · kid · wind · suit · clip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — child
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — to cut
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — moving air

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