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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: saw · rest · rock · bear · squash · pop · ruler · spring

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pop — to visit

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