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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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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: firm · face · clip · straw · safe · dip · stand · prune

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — for paper
  6. face — to point toward
  7. firm — a company
  8. stand — to bear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. firm — decided
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. clip — to cut
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — a video
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to confront

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