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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 120 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: bay · lash · pound · kid · fan · ball · bulb · wound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wound — an injury

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