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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.

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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: mug · wind · coach · tube · cap · arm · rush · season

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cap — a lid
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — of the year
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — a cup
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — in sport

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