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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
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: bowl · chest · field · rush · vault · mug · file · mouse

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — a subject
  12. file — a document
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. field — farmland
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — to hurry

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