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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 116 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: spring · file · stock · firm · mug · chip · prune · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a document
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stock — shares
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — the season
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a line of people

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