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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 116 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: calf · spring · rest · squash · hide · tear · net · firm

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — steady
  10. rest — a break
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. firm — a company
  18. tear — from crying
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — decided

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