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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: bulb · club · lean · wake · kid · file · mouse · bear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — to tease
  10. file — a document
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for dancing
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — child

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