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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: bay · perch · kid · wax · fan · dip · firm · bulb

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — to tease
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — to grow
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — a company
  21. kid — child
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — in the ear
  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