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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · bass · firm · rock · spring · bear · arm · cabinet

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. firm — a company
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — of water
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. arm — a part of something
  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