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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 120 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: wind · bulb · drill · stem · patient · mug · mouse · kick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — a cup
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — army training
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stem — to come from

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