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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: suit · spring · firm · arm · ground · chest · shower · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. shower — rain
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — of water
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — to fit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — a company
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spring — a coil
  21. firm — decided
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — part of the body

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