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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: squash · bulb · net · wind · band · pound · fan · hide

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pound — a weight

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