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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: stem · clip · lie · firm · prune · object · stand · chip

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — for betting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — a video
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — a company
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — the fruit

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