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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: mouse · wind · bass · bear · bulb · bat · cabinet · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — the animal

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