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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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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: kid · pound · firm · fall · rest · bear · saw · rush

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pound — a weight
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — child
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — decided
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bear — the animal

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