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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: mug · content · present · calf · chest · cell · bulb · mouse

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chest — a box
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. present — a gift
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. content — the amount
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. present — the time now

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