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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.

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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: firm · rush · hide · spring · last · swing · calf · wound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. last — final
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

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