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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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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: racket · tear · firm · hand · spring · foot · lash · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spring — of water
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — a coil
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — steady

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