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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: capital · hide · vault · file · rush · bass · staff · mouse

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rush — hurry
  11. file — a document
  12. bass — low music
  13. file — a tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — a stick

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