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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: rest · firm · mark · toast · bass · cap · tear · shower

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bass — the fish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — a company
  14. mark — a trace
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bass — low music
  18. shower — rain
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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