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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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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: kick · prune · mark · bear · chip · fine · wind · hide

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kick — in football
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — moving air

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