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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: season · rush · staff · bore · band · club · squash · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mug — to rob
  8. squash — to crush
  9. club — a group
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — in sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. club — for dancing
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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