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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 116 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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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: bear · nail · pass · tear · snap · firm · squash · spring

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. firm — a company
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pass — a permit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — a coil

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