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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: vault · rush · mate · march · net · track · hide · mouse

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — for catching
  18. march — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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