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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.

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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: clip · bay · stand · rush · prune · wind · chip · shower

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. shower — rain
  14. clip — a video
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wind — moving air
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rush — hurry

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