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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: march · bank · squash · kid · bulb · wind · can · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — of a river
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kid — child
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. march — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — for light

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