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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · mug · tear · wind · chair · bulb · toast · season

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mug — a cup
  6. season — in sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — of the year
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — bread
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. toast — the most admired

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