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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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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 · bowl · chest · pass · vault · present

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. present — there
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — the time now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a football final

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