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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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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: bear · firm · bat · bank · hide · rest · squash · degree

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — a break
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — the animal

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