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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.

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: bear · hide · spring · root · temple · bass · mouse · rest

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a word
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — the cause
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — low music

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