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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: lean · cell · dip · bulb · bat · bear · mouse · date

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — thin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. date — the fruit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — a sauce

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