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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: saw · season · nail · wound · tear · mug · rush · bear

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — an injury

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