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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: stick · bay · face · stand · rash · bulb · fan · kid

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — to confront
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fan — a supporter

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