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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: present · bound · calf · shower · fall · chip · prune · firm

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. firm — a company
  5. bound — obliged
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — a gift
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fall — to drop
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. present — there
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — rain

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