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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: bank · kid · fan · rash · can · straw · bay · racket

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rash — a series
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. can — a tin

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