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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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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: mate · bulb · wind · bay · bank · rule · bat · fall

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — a law
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bank — of a river

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