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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: rush · firm · fork · shower · pop · jam · tear · hide

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. shower — to wash
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — to visit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — soda
  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