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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: hide · firm · spring · ground · rule · jam · calf · tear

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — of water
  3. ground — crushed
  4. firm — a company
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. firm — steady
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — decided
  12. spring — the season
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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