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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: kid · kick · toast · content · bulb · cell · present · bank

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cell — in biology
  5. toast — bread
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kid — child
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — happy
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. present — there
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bulb — for light

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