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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 116 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: fall · season · mark · bear · mouse · cold · hand · rush

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cold — not warm

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