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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — of a plant

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