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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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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: hand · deal · cell · kid · charge · bank · bulb · mouse

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. charge — in control
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — electricity
  23. deal — to handle
  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