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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: rash · can · kid · drill · bay · net · wind · club

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — child
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — the tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rash — a series
  20. club — a group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — army training

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