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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: bear · chest · season · shower · craft · kick · rush · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — of the year
  11. kick — in football
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. season — in sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bear — the animal
  24. craft — boats

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