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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 · cell · cap · bulb · mug · present · mouse · patient

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a face
  12. present — there
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kid — child
  18. present — a gift
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — the time now
  21. cell — in biology
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kid — to tease

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