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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. present — there
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pop — soda
  24. cell — in biology

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