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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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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: wind · mate · mug · bear · pit · rule · rush · tear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mug — a face
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

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