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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: mine · mug · club · rash · wind · face · rush · can

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — to confront
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mine — for digging
  24. club — a group

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