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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.

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: field · mug · wake · bowl · hide · mine · rush · mouse

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. field — for sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a face
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. field — a subject
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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