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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 116 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: kick · bulb · mouse · rest · trunk · game · key · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kick — in football
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — in music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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