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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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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: spring · leaves · straw · deal · stick · stand · prune · chip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chip — to eat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chip — for betting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spring — of water

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