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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 120 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: firm · can · chest · arm · mate · spring · fine · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — a box
  4. mate — a partner
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. can — a tin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — decided
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a friend
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — a penalty

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