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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: charge · ruler · bear · firm · bat · fall · spring · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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