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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: deal · spring · firm · last · chair · bore · ball · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — hurry
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a dance
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spring — of water
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — a coil
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — the season
  14. ball — a great time
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. deal — a big deal

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