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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: cabinet · bay · fan · board · kid · band · root · rash

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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. band — a ring
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. root — the cause
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. band — a music group
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — a committee

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