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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: row · saw · chip · lean · prune · firm · band · mug

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lean — thin
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — to eat
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a ring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — steady
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — to bend
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chip — in a computer

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