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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · squash · bulb · leaves · kid · clip · bay · scale

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. clip — to cut
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. kid — child
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — a series
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. squash — the vegetable

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