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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
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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: bear · vault · chest · trunk · key · mine · rush · mouse

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chest — a box
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chest — of your body
  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