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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 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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. fall — to drop
  3. chip — for betting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cold — an illness
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fall — the season
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pound — a weight

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