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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: coach · fan · plane · kid · can · bat · bulb · bay

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kid — to tease
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — child
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — a horse colour

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