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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: hand · firm · rock · bear · bass · spring · wound · track

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. track — a song
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — the season
  15. hand — help
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — of water
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — to put up with

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