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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — for betting
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — the cause
  11. fall — the season
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a word
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. can — a tin

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