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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 120 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: chest · bowl · capital · rush · mouse · lie · content · mate

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chest — a box
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — to breed
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — the amount
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — to roll

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