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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: prune · straw · plane · chip · rock · stand · rest · bound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rock — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — to eat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — tied together
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. prune — to trim

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