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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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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: spring · arm · wake · hide · rest · mouse · tear · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. spring — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — from crying

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