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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · stock · chip · squash · hide · stick · fine · fall

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — all right
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. clip — a video
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — shares

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