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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · cap · patient · land · can · bulb · lash · content

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — happy
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — a country

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