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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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. dip — to sink
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cell — a phone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rash — a series
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bass — low music

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